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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Lexus has confirmed they are putting the UX into production, that will sit below the $35,000 NX. So you know Cadillac will want a product below XT4, to get in that growing segment. Infiniti I think has a crossover coming below the one they have based on the GLA, Mercedes is making a GLB, they are all fighting over this low $30s crossover segment because they can get growth there. Fighting over mid-size sedans is a lost cause anymore.
  2. smk4565
    The MR2 isn't feasible because how are they going to make a mid-engine chassis used on one low volume model and sell it for an affordable price? Won't happen. I think Toyota is foolish for not having a Celica, which is a front drive car, it could be a mechanical twin to the Corolla in base trim, and offer a turbo engine for the Celica GT-S and you put a good stereo and flashy wheels on it, and you have a car the young people will gobble up. The Supra might be good, it has BMW underpinnings, it might be as good as a base Corvette, but cheaper.
  3. smk4565
    75 % of sales being truck and utility is a telling number, and that could grow too. If only 20% of their sales are passenger car by 2020, then a lot of passenger car lines are going to get dumped. Sonic, Impala, Regal, ATS would be easy cuts. Or merge Spark and Sonic into one vehicle some how. Even Lacrosse is in a rapidly shrinking segment, the next Gen Lacrosse maybe goes down in size to become their version of the Malibu if Buick is to have only 1 car, it probably has to be more middle sized.
  4. smk4565
    I do hate numbered schemes that box you in like A3-4-5-6-7-8, or XT4-5-6-7, etc. Because then if the market changes or you want to introduce a new product your naming scheme doesn't allow it. I wonder why they went with XT4, unless they want to make it not like BMW X3. But I think more likely they see the need for XT2 and XT3 later on, so they want more slots below it to use. Not as fast as a 505 hp Alfa Romeo Stelvio though.
  5. smk4565
    To be a true MR2 it would have to be mid engined and I don't see Toyota doing that. And as mentioned sales of 2 seat cars are drying up fast. And I don't see how you build it at a low price point given the cost of developing a mid engine hybrid and I don't think anyone would buy it. With Scion dead it would be easy as can be to take the Corolla and make a 2 door version with different front and rear fascias and call it the Celica. That gets the fwd Celica back on sale with virtually no development cost.
  6. smk4565
    Lots of things will go hybrid, and more and more as costs drop. Combined with increasing regulations on fuel economy and emissions. Really you could have a 2.0 liter turbo 4 hybrid making as much horsepower and torque as a Hemi V8. Hybrids are the performance cars of the future too, just look at the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918, that philosophy will trickle down, it will just take time.
  7. smk4565
    We don't know what Alfa Romeo reliability will be like. Ow since it just went on sale. The problem is neither do the potential buyers. People buying sport sedans and soon Alfa will be in sport crossover, trust the Germans, they know what they are getting. If you buy a Jaguar or Alfa Romeo it is a gamble, you aren't sure what you are getting.
  8. smk4565
    Alfa has the Stelvio too, that may sell. And the number of 500 hp small crossovers can be counted on one hand, and that is even after the F-Pace V8 and GLC63 go on sale.
  9. smk4565
    Because the because the CT6 interior is worse than the C-class or most Audis, unless you only judge by rear seat legroom. So unless the ATS gets a CT6 beating interior, they aren't being a game changer. The Alfa Quadrafiglio is like 20 seconds faster around the Nurburgring ring than a CTS-V. I don't see them making an ATS-v faster than a CTS-V so again no game changer. Mercedes is for some unknown reason building a C63 R that will drop weight and have 577ish hp, Cadillac isn't that ballsy because there is next to no market for cars like that. I don't think Mercedes should even bother with it.
  10. smk4565
    ATS will have to make a quantum leap to change any games, I don't think Cadillac has it in them to get the ATS interior to class leading, while also increasing performance and refinement and space. The car Mags already like the Alfa more than the C63, it is the darling of the journalists, although it still doesn't sell. The fact that the Alfa Quadrifiglio V6 is 75% of a Ferrari V8 gives it some solid cred though.
  11. smk4565
    If all these FCA products were such great cash cows, Sergio wouldn't constantly be looking for merger partners. FCA is spending almost nothing in on new products, so what do they sell in 2020 with so little in the pipeline? And one global downturn, recession or gas spike could be 2009 all over again for them and he knows it. They are making money now because the auto market has had back to back record sales years, that won't last forever. Maybe he should contact Carlos Ghosn, he like alliances and mergers, and he took on Mitsubishi so apparently no car maker is too far lost for him to take on. Nissan would get the full size truck they want, Renault can absorb any Fiat models worth keeping, they could sell Renault in USA at existing dealers (the new Renault Alpine 110 looks pretty sweet), they can kill Chrysler and sell the Pacifica at Nissan or Dodge or both, they'd keep Jeep as is.
  12. smk4565
    VW looks at things globally, the only global brand at FCA with any value is Jeep. I am sure VW would love to have Jeep in the arsenal, Ram trucks would make profit in USA would would help them, but isn't like something they really need. I don't think the value of Jeep offsets the worthlessness of Dodge/Chrysler/Fiat/Alfa/Maserati to VW.
  13. smk4565
    If GM put a ban on wearing black sweaters at work, Sergio would leave them alone forever. He should try to merge with PSA, no one wants cars "Imported From Detroit" he could try some imported from France and use Citroen to fill Chrysler dealerships. And they can consolidate some of the other brands.
  14. smk4565
    The reason there are a lot of riced out Civics and have been since the late 90s, is they are cheap 2nd hand cars, easy to upgrade. I don't know of that tuner market wants to pay $40k for one.
  15. smk4565
    781 Cadillacs sold all year? Ouch. Not really even worth trying. Dumping Opel/Vauxhall was the right move though. Shed those brands and legacy costs, focus on other markets where you make money.
  16. smk4565
    Desperate for American market sales I mean.
  17. smk4565
    The new VW looks better than the CC I think, but this 4 door coupe trend seems way over. The Mercedes concept doesn't look good it looks like a Kia, and they invented the 4 door coupe in the first place. The original CLS was ground breaking, the mojo is missing from the latest one. VW is just desperate for sales on anything, they need crossovers in a bad way and they probably see this 4 door coupe as their halo product.
  18. smk4565
    $40k buys an Acura TSX or TLX or whatever it is called these days. A $40k Civic is about as ridiculous as a $55k Accord. With manual only this will be a sales dog but Honda probably doesn't care since they sell so many base Civics.
  19. smk4565
    I'm sorry, did they say starting in the mid $30k range? So with any options this is a $40k Civic. And I don't care what struts and differentials they put on it, a front drive car isn't going to out handle a rear drive car, or deliver power as well. $40k gets you a bare bones Alfa Romeo Guilia if you want performance and style, or a fairly well equipped Camaro or Mustang.
  20. smk4565
    XC90 is also not selling too well right now. I think the XC60 will bring some serious competition to the Lincoln MKC and Lexus NX.
  21. smk4565
    I think it looks pretty good, and you basically get the same interior and powertrains from the XC90. Inside and out and with the powertrains it looks like a really strong entry into the segment. Although you sort of wonder why it is worth spending way more on an XC90 when you can get it all here.
  22. smk4565
    I don't like the look of it, it looks a bit ugly. But perhaps they assume Panamera buyers have no style, and will find this appealing. The shape of this looks off, I think it would look better if they just added back doors on the GT and called it a day. The powertrain sounds awesome though, that would make this different than an E63 or CLS63. I'd like to see the EQ Power+ thing added to the inline six because not everyone needs 800 hp.
  23. smk4565
    2018 Volvo XC60 7.jpg
    I like it, it looks good inside and out. You basically get the same interior from the S90 and XC90 and the same engines but at less money.
  24. smk4565
    It makes sense, GM doesn't make money in Europe, PSA does make money in Europe, and can consolidate Opel/Vauxhaul in and through platform and engine sharing, HR and financing sharing, etc, can keep this all profitable. Makes PSA #2 in Europe, it makes sense for both sides. GM can build Buicks from Chevys, no big deal. They Opel Buicks (or Opel Saturns) never sold well anyway.
  25. smk4565
    While they do need a 500 hp version of the Q60 to compete with C63, Jag XE and Alfa Romeo, they also need some other performance products. And Infiniti is lazy in some areas, like their version of the Pathfinder has the Nissan 3.5 liter V6, not the Infiniti 3.7 liter V6, or one of the new turbo V6s. The Q70 seems like it has been on market forever with no update. So good to see them bringing a new 500 hp V6 hybrid, I think powertrains like this are the future, and I know they want to tie it to F1, but no way could they put an F1 KERS system on a Q60 it would be too expensive.
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